Adelaide Labille-Guiard:
Portrait of Madame Louise-Elizabeth of France, Infante d'Espagne, Duchesse de Parme with her two-year-old son

Click on the picture to see an enlarged version.

Oil on Canvas 1787

2.72 x 1.60 meters

Musée National du Chateau de Versailles

This exquisite picture was commissioned by King Louis XVI himself. It shows his youngest sister, Louise-Elizabeth of France, who was married to the heir apparent to the Spanish Throne. Alone among the royal family, she did not have to flee the horrors of the Revolution for she was in Spain.

The exquisite painting of her clothing and and that of her infant son are the trademarks of Labille-Guiard's popularity. The marvelous lacework, the brocaded front of the dress, and of course that hat with the extraordinary feathers were not only the height of fashion, but symbols of sophistication and high social status. The parrot, rather prominantly featured one would think in a portrait of a Spanish and French Princess, adds not only a touch of color, but reminds the viewer of the Spanish empire's control of South and Latin America. Louise-Elizabeth and her son are scheduled to rule that empire.